Proceedings with Emeritus · §12 · Augustine of Hippo

The tree seeks its broken branch

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Augustine is addressing the gathered congregation at the end of the proceedings, urging them to see the Donatists' reconciliation among themselves as a sign of how much more the Catholic Church should seek the return of Emeritus.

And yet, my brothers, we do not begrudge them their concord. They brought to an end the diabolical hatreds they had stirred up among themselves, and returned to peace, as they think. But this is what I say: if a broken branch went looking for a small branch broken from itself, with what care should the tree itself seek the branch broken from itself? That is why we sweat, why we labor, why we have been endangered amid their weapons and the bloody furies of the Circumcellions, and why we still endure their remnants with whatever patience God has given us—while the tree seeks its branch, while the flock seeks the lost sheep from Christ's fold. If we are endowed with pastoral bowels, we must press ourselves through hedges and thorns. With torn limbs, let us seek the sheep and carry it back with joy to the shepherd and ruler of all. We have said much, even though we are weary, and yet our brother—for whose sake we say these things to you, and to whom we say them equally, and for whom we do so much—still stands stubborn. Cruel strength thinks itself constancy. Let him no longer glory in empty and false strength. Let him hear the apostle say: "Power is made perfect in weakness" (2 Corinthians 12:9). Let us pray for him. How do we know what God wills? Many are the thoughts in a man's heart, as it is written, but the counsel of the Lord remains forever (Psalm 33:11 (LXX 32:11)).

Latin

Et tamen, fratres mei, non inuidemus concordiae eorum. inter se suscitata odia diabolica finierunt, quomodo putant, in pacem redierunt. sed hoc dico: si ramus fractus quaesiuit paruum a se fractum, qua diligentia debet arbor ipsa quaerere ramum ex se fractum? ideo sudamus, ideo laboramus, ideo inter eorum arma et cruentas furias circumcellionum periclitati sumus et adhuc reliquias eorum qualicumque donata a deo patientia toleramus, dum arbor quaerit ramum, dum grex ex ouili Christi ouem perditam quaerit. si pastoralibus uisceribus praediti sumus, per saepes et spinas nos coartare debemus. membris. laceratis ouem quaeramus et pastori principique omnium cum laetitia reportemus. multa diximus etiam fatigati, et tamen frater noster, propter quem ista dicimus uobis et cui pariter dicimus et pro quo tanta agimus, adhuc pertinax sistit. constantem se putat fortitudo crudelis. non adhuc de uana et falsa fortitudine glorietur. audiat apostolum dicentem: uirtus in infirmitate perficitur. oremus pro illo. unde scimus quid uelit deus? multae cogitationes, sicut scriptum est, in corde uiri; consilium autem domini manet in aeternum.

About this text

Emeritus, a Donatist bishop, came to the city two days earlier and agreed to enter the Catholic church.

Augustine of Hippo (354–430) wrote this dialogue for the Catholic congregation at Caesarea in Mauretania, with Emeritus the Donatist bishop present. Emeritus had come to the city two days earlier and agreed to enter the Catholic church. The Catholic bishops, with Deuterius the metropolitan of Caesarea presiding alongside Augustine and others, held a public session to question him about why he came and to expose the weakness of the Donatist position before the people.

Augustine publicly confronts Emeritus, who remains largely silent, and argues that the Donatists were defeated at the Conference of Carthage not by power but by truth. He says their treatment of the Maximianist schism proves inconsistency, because they received Felicianus and Praetextatus back in their honors without rebaptizing them after condemning them with Maximianus, while refusing communion with the worldwide Catholic Church over the long settled case of Caecilian. The reader also meets the Catholic bishops Deuterius, Alypius, Possidius, Rusticus and Palladius, the judge Marcellinus, Primianus, Donatus, Optatus and Rogatus, and hears Alypius read the bishops letter to Marcellinus with Augustine interrupting to comment, while Augustine quotes and argues against the words of Emeritus himself condemning the Maximianists, and closes by urging prayer for the conversion of Emeritus.

Here conference means the formal public debate between Catholic and Donatist bishops held at Carthage, and judge means Marcellinus the imperial official appointed to decide it. Communion means full fellowship sharing the Eucharist, unity means the visible unity of the Church throughout the world, and Catholic peace is contrasted with schism and dissension. To rebaptize means to baptize again those coming from the Catholic Church, Maximianists means the followers of Maximianus who split from Primianus, and Circumcellions means violent Donatist bands. Old Testament names follow the Septuagint, so Dathan, Chore and Abiron appear as Dathan, Korah and Abiram, and Psalms follow Septuagint numbering with a note where it differs from the Hebrew used in modern Bibles.

New English from the Latin base text; no published English used as wording.

Printed text used

Translated from CSEL 53 (1910) (Latin)

This work has passed this project's source check. This is an AI-assisted study translation. Source fidelity and completeness have not been independently certified. Open Latin on each section (or the Latin source witness link) for the source text. This is not a complete critical edition.